


Easy or Cheap

by Diary



Category: X-Men Evolution
Genre: Bechdel Test Pass, Big Brother Toad (X-Men), Brother-Sister Relationships, Families of Choice, Friendship/Love, Gen, Half-Siblings, Late Night Conversations, POV Multiple, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 22:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6169471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Repost. Toad kidnaps a baby. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Easy or Cheap

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own X-Men Evolution.

The baby held by Toad is a few months old with a thin covering of sandy-blonde hair and amber eyes. She wears a worn, dirty green t-shirt and a diaper.

Pietro looks between Wanda and Toad. “Stay calm, sis.”

Lance curses under his breath. “Of all the stupid things you’ve ever done, stealing a baby-”

“Hey,” Toad protests. He rocks the baby back and forth. “She’s my family, yo. And they ain’t been taking good care of her. What’d’ya do if your real family needed help?”

“I don’t have a family,” Lance snaps. “The people whose blood I share? They can go to hell for all I care. And what makes you think you can take proper care of a baby? You can’t even take care of yourself!”

The baby begins to cry, and everyone glares at him.

Patting her back, Toad promises, “’s okay. Hey, Lance ain’t gonna hurt ya. He’s a jerk, sure, but hurting a baby’s somethin’ Kitty’d never forgive.”

Sighing, Pietro glances at Wanda. Once the baby’s settled, he says, “Okay. First of all, we can’t give it back. Toad’s right; she’s too skinny, her skin is bruised all over, and his description of her room is bad. But,” he adds, “Lance is right, too. Toad, you’d already be dead if not for the Brotherhood. We can’t steal enough to take care of a baby. Then, there are our powers,” he says with another look at Wanda.

“She’s my sister,” Toad says. “And she likes me.”

Fred appears with a stroller containing formula and a folded playpen. “Is that enough? Her liking you?”

“Why wouldn’t it be, yo?”

Taking a deep breath, Lance takes the playpen and unfolds it. “A crib would’ve been better,” he mutters.

“Harder to steal,” Freddy answers. “’sides, they’re like jails for babies.”

Toad sets the baby down in it, and she immediately starts crying.

“How do we even know she’s not sick,” Lance demands with clenched fists.

“No powers,” Pietro orders. Huffing, he looks at her slightly webbed toes and fingers. “How do we even know she’s not mutant? Toad, if she’s human, fine, maybe you do have a chance. But if she’s mutant, she’s got the whole damn world against her, and two powerful men who are going to want her. X-Geek or my dad. You want either to have easy access?”

Picking her up, Toad sits down. “She ain’t going back,” he declares. “I’ve been watchin’. He’s still the same bastard he always was, and his new wife or girlfriend, whatever she is, don’t care about her. Don’t even know why she bothered havin’ her, but she did.”

Looking around with glazed eyes, he adds, “Besides, our,” he pauses, “dad has hands and feet like ours, and he ain’t no mutant. According to my momma, most of the people in his family have them. It could just be- uh, what’s that word-”

“Genetic. So, we drop her off at a hospital or someplace like that,” Lance says.

“Her parents might be able to find her that way,” Wanda says. “And there’s no guarantee she’ll end up in a good home.”

“We’re not keeping a stolen baby in the house,” Lance grits out. “The locals know better than to mess with us, but if anyone finds out about her, you can bet that the army and the X-Geeks and everyone else will be kicking our asses, if they don’t just decide to kill us. And the playpen, formula, and stroller are safe enough, but with all the things babies need, we keep stealing for her, someone’s gonna piece things together.”

“We could say Wanda had her,” Freddy suggests.

“No,” is Pietro’s immediate response.

“Why not,” Wanda inquires. “That’ll probably force the bastard to come out of-”

“We have a deal,” he reminds her.

“Why cain’t we just say she’s my sister, and our momma’s dead,” Toad asks. “That’s mostly the truth.”

“Mostly doesn’t cut it,” Pietro answers. “Her biological parents are alive, and even if they weren’t, no one is going to let a sixteen-year-old, dirty, mutant thief take care of a baby.”

Toad straightens his posture. “Look, if I hav’fta leave, I’ll leave, but I want the wallet of money I stole earlier, and I’m taking the stroller.”

“She’ll die for sure if you do that, and the chances are good you will, too,” Lance scoffs. “The fact you didn’t think to include the formula in that list is just more proof of that.”

The baby yawns and blinks, and Wanda says, “The baby’s tired. We all need time to process this. Toad and one of you can skip school tomorrow. We can say he took a shower a little earlier than usual and is feeling sick. We can figure out the best thing to do during the weekend.”

“Thanks, babycakes,” Toad says.

She glares. “You can’t hold the baby forever.”

“Er, right. Sorry,” he says. “Thanks, Wanda. I mean it.”

“You can’t sleep in your room,” Freddy says. He carefully takes the baby. Studying him, she makes an unhappy sound. “It’s too dirty. You need to clean your body with the rubbing alcohol, and then, rinse it off good with water. Put clean clothes on.”

At everyone’s look, he explains, “I’ve helped with babies before.”

Looking down at the cases of formula, Wanda asks, “Aren’t we going to need a bottle for her?”

“I’m out,” Lance announces. “That baby’s going to die before the week’s over, and I’m not going down with you idiots.”

“She ain’t gonna die!”

The baby starts crying, and Toad winces. Taking her, he says, “I’m sorry, baby girl. I didn’t mean ta yell.”

“Later,” Lance says.

He leaves.

Once the baby has calmed down, Freddy takes her again. “Somebody should get the bottle while Toad cleans.” 

“I’ll get it,” Pietro says. “Wanda, can you make sure Avalanche didn’t take any of the-” At her glare, he trails off. “Okay, I’ll do that, too.”

She storms to her room, and he looks at the others. “What’d I do?”

“Just get the bottle,” Freddy advises.

…

After Freddy shows Toad how to feed the baby, Pietro asks, “So, does this kid have a name?”

“I don’t know,” Toad admits. “The things they call her ain’t nice.”

Taking her shirt off, Freddy tells Toad, “Lay down.”

Toad lays down on the couch, and Freddy lifts his shirt and places the baby on his chest.

“Dude-” Toad starts.

Letting go, Freddy tells him, “Don’t worry. It’s good for sick babies to sleep like this.”

“What if she falls off? Maybe I should sleep on the floor? No, that wouldn’t work,” he muses.

“She won’t fall,” Freddy promises.

…

The night doesn’t go easily.

Every three hours, the baby wakes up.

After they realise they don’t have anything for changing her, Pietro runs to stores in different towns for diapers, baby wipes, powder, and baby aspirin.

At one point, she wakes up and cries for forty minutes for no discernible reason.

By the time it’s time to leave for school, three rooms have been destroyed courtesy of Wanda, and everyone is tired and cranky. Wanda and Pietro quickly make the decision Freddy will be the one to play hooky with Toad and the baby.

As they leave, Wanda mutters, “We’re getting some regular aspirin.”

…

Handing a button to the baby, Toad sits down.

Clutching it, she makes cooing, babbling noises.

“You and I, we ain’t the lucky ones,” he tells her. “My momma’s gone, and she wasn’t very good anyways. Yours ain’t much better, and trust me, the guy who got them both pregnant ain’t deserving of being called family.”

Watching him, she makes encouraging noises when he pauses.

“I hope you grow up to be pretty and smart and have lots of friends.” He reaches over to stop her when she starts to bring the button towards her mouth. “But it don’t matter if you don’t, ‘cause I promise ya, I’m always gonna love you. No matter what. If I cain help it, ya ain’t gonna be lonely and scared and never having no one to count on.”

She looks behind him.

“I know you don’t understand me,” Toad continues, “but I promise I ain’t lying. ‘Cause, me and you, we’re family. Ain’t something that comes by easy or cheap.”

Suddenly, her tongue shoots out past him, and there’s a sound he immediately identifies as fly being swallowed.

“Freddy,” he yells.

When Freddy appears, he blurts out, “She’s a toad. Just ate a fly.”

“You ain’t supposed to give-”

“Funnily enough, I know not to give bugs to babies,” Toad snaps. “She got it herself, used her tongue, just like I do.”

Freddy looks down at the baby. “Can’t tell Quicksilver,” he says. “If he decides to go back to Magneto, he’ll tell.”

Toad mutters several choice words.

“Todd,” Freddy says, “this might mean they weren’t hurting her on purpose. Just giving her baths and not knowing what kind of food she needs-”

“No,” Toad exclaims. He picks her up. “It ain’t them not knowing how to deal with a mutant. I’ve been watching, and they ignore her most of the time when she cries. If she’s lucky, she gets one bottle before bed. They leave her in a dark room, in her dirty crib, the same clothes and diaper, for hours. And I saw them giving her a bath once; then, I just thought her momma was scrubbing too hard and gettin’ the stuff in her eyes, but even I know the difference ‘tween a kid who don’t like being washed and one who’s in pain!”

The baby starts crying, and Toad starts rocking her back and forth. “I’m sorry, baby girl,” he softly tells her. “I promise I’ll try ta remember not ta yell when you’re around, ‘kay?”

Eventually, she settles, and he sits down. “Could you get another bottle, Freddy? I think she’s hungry, again.”

…

“Here,” Wanda says. She sets a jar of dead crickets down in front of Toad. “One of the younger X-Men was worried about you.”

“Thanks,” Toad says. He looks around. “Do me a favour and watch the baby while I go get a plate, ‘kay?”

“I’m not going to watch you eat these,” Wanda declares.

Sitting in front of the stroller, she recoils when the baby looks at her and reaches forward.

Reappearing with a spoon, a plate, and a knife with a flat bottom, he says, “Ain’t for me.”

Wanda looks at him with a mixture of curiousness and disgust. “You’re not going to-”

“Please, don’t tell your brother,” Toad says. Sitting down, he looks around while he squirts some hand sanitizer on his hands. “If he knows, he might tell Magneto.” As he mashes some of the crickets up, he tells her about the fly earlier. “I don’t know if crickets are right or not, but I think she needs bugs.”

When he raises the spoonful of mashed crickets to the baby’s mouth, Wanda looks away. “Xavier probably already knows she exists,” she points out.

“Here, baby girl,” Toad grins. He waves the spoon. “Open wide for big brother, like this.” He opens and stretches his mouth.

Laughing, the baby tries to mimic the motion, and Toad slips the spoon into her mouth, and then, withdraws it. The baby stills. After a few seconds, she makes a happy noise and swallows a little bit of the cricket.

The rest ends up on her face and chest.

Toad grabs a nearby baby wipe. “Look, honeybunch,” he says, “I know ya don’t need it, but me, Freddy, and Tabs, none of us are gonna let Magneto or the prof. put ya back in that place. And I’m gonna be a better brother to this kid than Quicksilver was to you.”

He brings another spoonful up to the baby’s lips, and this time, she automatically opens her mouth to accept it.

“Speaking of Boom-Boom, we should bring her in,” Wanda says. “With Lance gone, we need a brain and someone we can trust.”

“Messy eater, yo,” Toad mutters. He wipes the baby more. “’s a good idea. When Freddy gets back, I’ll go find her.”

After a few more bites, the baby fusses when he tries to get her to eat more.

“Stop,” Wanda orders. “She’s had enough for now.”

Todd puts the spoon down. “I remember bein’ hungry,” he says. “Still am, no matter how much I get.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” she orders. Reaching over and placing a hand on his head, she continues, “Look, Toad, there’s a difference between throwing a kid in a torture asylum and finding them a home. Lance is right.”

He leans away.

“No offence, cuddle rumpkins, but you and he don’t understand family.” He picks the baby up. “Cain’t say I blame either of you. Until I found ‘bout her, I didn’t care. Maternal side hated my momma for being a slut with an ugly baby. Paternal side’s just plain evil. None of them meant anything to me. When I found out that he had another kid, I was just curious. The way they treated her was horrible, so, I thought, ‘hey, least I can do is give it a fighting chance.’ Thought I could just take her and do what Lance said, leave her at a firehouse or somethin’.”

Looking over, he says, “Except, she was awake, and I looked in her eyes. And- suddenly, she wasn’t some kid that I thought maybe I should do somethin’ nice for. I picked her up, and she didn’t even cry. Just wiggled closer to me. Freaked me out, and I almost dropped her.”

…

“Aw, she’s adorable,” Tabitha says. Leaning down, she smiles brightly. “Definitely Toddy’s, aren’t ya?”

Laughing, the baby waves her arms.

“Can I hold her?”

“Sure, Tabs,” Toad answers.

Freddy helps her pick up and position the baby, and she says, “You really need to name her.”

“She has a name,” Pietro says. “And this baby isn’t Toad’s. She’s his half-sister, not his daughter.”

“I ain’t giving her up,” Toad says. “Tell me when we hav’fta leave, and we will. But there ain’t no other solution but me and her staying together.”

“Toad-”

“He’s the only family that’s willing to even try to do right by her,” Tabitha interjects.

“There’s still the issue of a sixteen-year-old delinquent with a baby,” Pietro points out. “Look, I get not wanting to- But what kind of life can any of us give her? There’s nothing we can say or do to legitimately stop anyone from taking her once people find out about her. At least, if we make plans before anyone does, you can have some control over who and where.”

“It ain’t like I’m asking you to-”

“Toad, what’s your brilliant plan when Mystique comes back? My father? What if Lance spills the beans to Shadowcat? A baby isn’t something you hit mute on the remote control and stuff into the closet until people are gone.”

There’s a knock on the door, and sighing, Pietro makes a motion with his hands.

Suddenly, the living room is devoid of baby things. “Find a clean closet, and whatever you do, don’t let the baby make a sound,” he hisses.

“Thanks, man,” Toad says. Taking the baby from Tabitha, he hops to a nearby closet, and once he’s closed the door, the TV’s turned on.

…

The baby sleeps easier through the night.

In the morning, Freddy examines her. “She’s doing better.”

“I need to find her some roly-polys,” Toad says. He rubs her stomach, and she makes a gleeful noise. “Yo, you’re a toad, not a dawg.”

“She’s not a toad,” Wanda says. “And you can’t feed her that while my brother is around.”

“You and the baby can crash with me,” Tabitha offers. “I mean, you’ll have to sleep on the floor, but the baby can sleep in bed with me.”

“Ya think that’ll turn her dyke? ‘Cause, I’ve thought about it, and I can hurt a girl more easily than I cain a-”

The baby blinks, and Toad screams when he hits the wall. “Ah, dammit, Tabby, getta way! I’m already stuck to the- No, put those- No!”

Freddy begins rocking the baby as Tabitha threatens to drop fireballs down an extremely sensitive place.

…

After they’ve finally pried Toad away from the wall, he mutters, “Double standard, yo.”

He promptly trips, and the baby begins wailing.

Scrambling up, he takes her and talks softly until she settles. “Well, she’s gonna date eventually. It’d jus’ be better if she did it with someone who-”

“Finish that sentence, and be afraid the second you set the baby down,” Wanda warns.

“I’ll just be quiet,” Toad declares.

“Is the offer still open,” Wanda inquires. “He’ll take it.”

Shaking her head, Tabitha flops onto the couch. “Seriously, Toad, if you and the baby need a place to crash, comes over.”

Sitting down, Freddy says, “I don’t want you to go, but if you’re serious about keeping her, you need to. It won’t be long until her powers are obvious. This morning, she caught another fly. If Quicksilver had been around-”

They sit quietly until the baby starts crying.

Toad slips his hands past her shorts. “How long until potty training, yo? I’ve already changed her more than five times.”

“I’m no expert, but I think that generally comes after the talkin’ and the walkin’,” Tabitha answers with a grin.

“Well,” Toad says, “I guess if changin’ her is one of the things I needs to do to keep her happy, it ain’t too much ta ask.”

“She really needs a name,” Wanda says.

“True,” Tabitha agrees. “Baby Tolansky doesn’t have much of a ring to it.”

Finishing changing the diaper, Toad says, “Ain’t her last name.” He carefully jumps on the ceiling, and when she gives no reaction, he continues jumping around. “Tolansky was my momma’s maiden name.”

“Wonderful,” Pietro declares.

Everyone but the baby jumps.

“With different last names, no one will believe you have any connection to the baby.”

“Don’t mean there ain’t one,” Toad says. He hops down. “She’s my baby sis.”

“And what if your dad’s wife-”

“Girlfriend, I think,” Toad corrects.

“Well, that strengthens my point. What if she isn’t the faithful type?”

“Pietro,” Wanda warns.

“Then, she shouldn’ta had my dad raising her kid,” Toad snaps. “It’s pretty obvious she’s his kid, but let’s says that the resemblance is just a weird coincidence. Don’t matter. Her mama ever leaves him and decides to love her, then, I guess she’n I’ll have ta talk. ‘Til then, though-”

The baby begins crying.

As Toad tries to soothe her, Pietro sits down next to Freddy. “Toad, she can’t stay for much longer. Magneto could come back at any moment.”

“Look, just give me ‘til Friday,” Toad says. “I need to find a job, and then, I can move in with Tabs.”

“A job,” Freddy repeats.

Everyone turns to study Toad. 

“Yeah,” Toad says. “Stealing works right now, but soon, she’s gonna need different things, and I’m gonna need to get them legit.”

…

The baby’s in the playpen, and Toad is snoring on the couch.

Someone walks in, picks up the baby, looks Toad, and whispers, “Sorry.”

…

At the Xavier institute, Kurt looks at the infant carrier and demands into the phone, “Does the crying you hear sound like a joke?”

…

Wanda slams Toad against the wall.

“Todd, wake up!”

“Whaa,” he mumbles. Stretching, he winces and blinks. “Ain’t done nothing, sweetums.”

Clapping her hands, she says, “The baby is gone.”

“Wha?” He looks around. When he sees the empty playpen, his eyes snap back to Wanda.

“The baby is gone,” she repeats.

…

“She’s unharmed,” Professor X assures the assembled group. “She’s upset over being unable to find her caregiver.”

“I didn’t know she was there,” Kurt repeats. “Babies have very soft heads and bodies, are you sure I didn’t accidentally hurt her?”

“Kurt, it’s okay,” Kitty says. She reaches over to stop his pacing.

Walking around with the squalling baby, Jean asks, “Professor, how could a baby get in Kurt’s room?”

Looking suspiciously at the baby, Wolverine says, “She has a familiar smell.”

“What are we going to do, Charles,” Storm asks.

“She looks like Toad,” Rogue notes. She rubs her head. “God, can’t someone do something?”

“That’d be something, Toad having a baby,” Scott yawns. “Professor, we need to do something, and fast.”  

Beast appears with a sippy cup. “Security tapes don’t reveal anything. See if she’ll drink from this. It’s canned milk, but I’ve diluted it.”

Jean tries to feed the baby.

“How can they not reveal anything,” Scott demands.

“Don’t all babies not drinking from the mother drink diluted canned milk,” Kurt inquires.

“No. Usually, in America, if not breastfed, babies are given infant formula, which is made to be much more similar to breast milk than regular milk is,” Professor X answers. “What exactly do the tapes show?”

“The student’s rooms don’t have cameras,” Beast reminds him. “But the hallways and the yard are devoid of anyone. Whoever smuggled the baby in, it had to have been a mutant.”

“Why did they leave it in my room?!”

“Your window was open,” Rogue reminds him. “I’ve warned you about that.”

“What if the baby is Toad’s,” Kitty wonders. “He’s gotten through via window before.”

Scott shakes his head. “Kitty, how do I say this delicately? Who in their right mind would do anything that could cause conception with Toad?”

“Can’t you zoom into my room from the cameras outside,” Kurt asks.

“I tried that,” Beast answers. “As far as the cameras could see, one minute, there’s nothing, and the next, the carrier is sitting on the floor.”

“So, maybe their power is invisibility,” Jean says. She gently pats the baby’s back. “That still doesn’t explain how they didn’t trip any sensors, though.”

“Maybe if we just put the baby down, it’ll quiet down on his own,” Scott suggests.

“Her, not him,” Storm corrects. “Perhaps, the child is a mutant. If her mother or father knew about this place, they might have decided it was safer for her.”

“Obviously, with some children, it’s easy to tell early on they might be mutant,” Professor X says with a glance at Kurt, “but would a baby as young as this display powers?”

“It’s a brand new world, Charles,” Wolverine replies.

The baby continues to cry.

…

A knock on the jeep’s window wakes Lance up. He sees it’s Pietro, stumbles out, and finds himself looking at a restrained Toad surrounded by the Brotherhood plus Tabitha.

Tabitha and Blob give him stern, disappointed faces, Pietro looks uneasy, and Wanda appears calm.

Working out the kinks in his neck, he asks, “What is going on?”

“Did you steal the baby?”

Sighing, Lance goes over to untape Toad. “No. I knew something like this would happen. Are we thinking the X-Geeks or Magneto?”

“You swear you didn’t take her?”

“Toad, I’m already gone,” Lance points out. “Why would I care about her?”

Nodding, Toad mutters, “Sorry to bother ya,” and turns.

Pietro stops him. “So, do we try to find my dad?”

“Naw. This is my fight. I’m gonna go to the mansion and see if they’ve taken her.”

“Wait,” Lance says. “Look, I’ll help. I’d say let things be, but whoever did this had no right.”

…

At the Brotherhood house, Pietro asks, “So, why isn’t this plan A?”

“’Cause,” Tabitha says, “I’ve got a better plan.”

“And you didn’t share it an hour and a half ago while we were thinking up this one,” Wanda demands.

“On the chance my plan doesn’t work, we’re definitely going to need this one,” Tabitha says. She withdraws her cell phone. “I just hope he picks up. I’ve only got about an hour in minutes left.”

She goes into the other room.

From his place on the ceiling, Toad sighs. “I wanna do something now, yo.”

Sipping his coffee, Lance says, “I get that. But the last thing you want is for the kid to be accidentally hurt.”

Soon, Tabitha comes back and looks at Wanda. After Wanda traps Toad, she says, “Okay. The X-Men do have the baby, but they weren’t the ones who took her. Someone left her at the institute.”

“Well, they better give her back!”

Wanda releases Toad, and he lands face-down on the floor.

“Yeah, so, we’re gonna need to go with plan B,” Tabitha says. “I thought my contact could sneak her out, but that’s off.”

“What if we just explained that someone kidnapped her and told them to give her back,” Freddy asks.

Pietro and Lance both scoff, and Pietro answers, “Because, there’s no proof she’s supposed to be with Toad. If we say they’re siblings, the X-Men will try to give her back to his dad. If we say she’s his kid, they’ll want to know who the mother is. And if they find out Toad kidnapped her, they’re gonna have him in jail quicker than I can run to Montana and back.”

“But if we steal the baby back, won’t they still come after us?”

“Not us,” Lance says. He looks at Toad. “If we help you get the baby back, you and it are going to have to leave. I’m not going down for either of you.”

“I promise,” Toad agrees. “Just help me get my sis back.”

…

“Did you do it,” Wanda inquires.

Jumping, Pietro drops his gloves. “Wanda?”

“How long have you known she was mutant?”

Shrugging, Pietro answers, “Since I found out they have different last names. I didn’t take her, Wanda. Or contact Dad.”

“I’ve heard that before,” she declares. “After this, I’m done with you. For too long, you and he have dictated my life. Tell him that if he comes after me, I will fight back. Otherwise, he’s gotten his wish. I’m not a threat to him or his precious son anymore.”

“Wanda-”

She walks out the door, and he sighs.

…

The front yard is destroyed, and the X-Men and Brotherhood stand ready to fight one another.

“Don’t,” Professor X orders.

“But, Professor,” someone starts.

“No,” he says. “Kitty, Rogue, I believe the two of you were partially right. Todd, you and your friends are here for the baby left in Nightcrawler’s room, correct?”

“Aw, man, they left her with him,” Toad gripes. “Yeah, she’s mine, and I ain’t leaving without her.”

“Oh, dear God, someone actually- with him,” Kurt says.

Toad gives him a confused look. Then, scoffing, he says, “Only in my dreams, yo. She’s my baby sis.”

“Yes,” Xavier says.

Storm floats down with the screaming baby in her arms. She hesitates before handing the baby to Toad. When she does, the baby doesn’t stop crying but does start to calm.

The Brotherhood moves to shield him and the baby.

 “’s okay, baby girl,” he says. “I’m so sorry ‘bout this. But it’s okay, now, ‘cause the prof. here is gonna let us leave. Right?”

“I assume this is a permanent arrangement,” Professor X says.

The baby finally stops crying but continues to wave her arms around and make noises of displeasure.

“She was badly neglected,” Professor X continues. “However, that’s changed in the last few days.”

“Ain’t none of your business,” Toad snaps.

“On the contrary,” Professor X says. “If you had come a week later, there’s a very good chance the baby would have been dead. She’s still unhealthy, but if she continues to receive the care she’s received in the last few days, I expect there’ll be no lasting problems for her.”

“A week? Jesus,” Toad mutters. He continues rocking her. “Shh, it’s okay, baby girl. I’ll be here when ya wake up.”

“You’re free to take her,” Professor X tells him. “But I must warn you: Raising a child is not easy, especially for one so young with limited connections. If you ever need help, feel free to come here.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Toad mumbles. He turns. “We’ll manage.”

…

Pietro watches Wanda pack. “Wanda-”

“I don’t know who I am,” she says. “There are so many gaps in my memory, and even with all these happy memories, something tells me that you’re right. I don’t remember the asylum, or any of the bad things you said he did. But some part of me just knows he did all that. And you, you’ve always been his favourite. Even the altered memories show that.”

“Look, I’m sorry,” Pietro says. “I was a kid, and I was scared and confused. I couldn’t have stopped him. And I didn’t know he was going to memory wipe you.”

Shaking her head, she picks up her suitcase. “When it comes down to it, you’re always going to be his boy. Never my brother. That’s something else I just know. Goodbye, Pietro.”

…

The baby coos in the kitchen sink, and Toad carefully rinses her off.

“Have you seen my wallet,” Lance demands.

“Probably in your car, yo.”

“It’s a jeep, not a car.”

“Look, man, why ya gotta be so touchy? I said we’d leave, and we will. Just let me finish her bath, first, ‘kay?”

Lance sighs. “Toad, what I said earlier-”

“It ain’t a problem. This life, it’s good for me, but it ain’t what I want for her.”

“Xavier had a point.”

“Ya think I don’t know that?”

Nodding, Lance says, “Look, as long as no police come after us for her, she can stay.”

Toad lifts her up. “Hey, hand me a diaper and the powder.” Lance does, and Toad changes her. “I ‘preciate everything you and the others‘ve done for me,” he says. “But we’ve never been family, have we?”

Lance doesn’t respond.

…

Tabitha turns off the engine. “Toddy-”

He looks over at the sleeping baby. “Would you have a kid at our age?”

“No,” she answers, “but this doesn’t exactly compare.”

Leaning forward, he kisses her cheek. “Thanks for the ride, Tabby. I’ll get back ta the boarding house on my own.”

“If it helps at all, I’m proud of you. I just wish there was a better way. You and she both deserve it.”

He unbuckles the carrier, gets out, and walks around to get it. Once he does, he shuts the door and walks to the gates of the Xavier Institute.

After a moment, they open.

…

“Mister Tolansky,” Professor X greets. “How can I help you?”

Toad sets the carrier down on the floor, takes off his wristband, and drops it on the desk. “I’m gonna trust you,” he says. “Don’t make me regret it. Find her a good home. One that accepts her bein’ mutant and gives her plenty of bugs and understands she’s allergic to soap. And I’ll be watchin’. If they don’t do right by her, I’ve taken her once, I’ll finda way ta do it again.”

He turns, blinks against the tears, and starts to walk away.

“You don’t want to do this, Todd,” is Professor X’s gentle response. “Turn around.”

“’Course I don’t,” Toad answers. “But I’m realistic. Ain’t no one to watch her durin’ the day, and I cain’t leave her alone. Without a job, I cain’t provide for her. Not wit’ out stealing, and I cain’t bring her along while I do that. Never really cared before if I got caught; didn’t want the beatin’, but I wasn’t ashamed. I’d be, now, if I got in trouble, seen her watching. She’s gonna need so much, and I ain’t the one to give it to her.

Picking up the wristband, Professor X goes over to Toad. “If you’re willing to accept help, there is a way you and her can stay together.”

“Yeah,” is Toad’s sceptical reply. “How’s that?”

“You’re welcome to stay here. On one of the two conditions: you attend school and truly work at making B’s, or you work full-time at a legitimate job. There are people here who can take care of her during the day, and both of you will be provided for. If you decide to leave in the future, I won’t stop you. You are her family, and you’ve proven that, one way or another, you’re willing to take care of her.”

Todd Tolansky stands at war with himself.

More than anything, he wants his baby sister. Since he picked her up, saw her eyes, and felt her move closer to him, he’s loved her more than he’s loved anyone besides his mother. But he remembers the bullies, some of which are still around, the filthy places, the times there was no home, how he sometimes felt his mother didn’t love him, how he still wonders if she ever did, the stealing, and the judgement from people who didn’t know shit.

He’d rather she never knew she had a brother, or worse, know about him and look down on him than go through anything like he did. He wants her to be happy, have friends and family, and grow up to be somethin’. Maybe she’ll be a brilliant scientist, carpenter, or even a trash collector; the last may not be glamorous, but from what Toad can tell, it’s a good way to make a decent living.

“She’ll wake soon." Reaching over, he puts the wristband back on Toad. “You made a promise to be there when she woke up.”

Nodding, Toad swipes the remaining tears, goes over, and crouches down next to the carrier. “I’ll need a tutor, yo.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard to get the appropriate papers, declaring you her legal guardian, drawn up. Have you thought of a name for her, yet?”

“Angelique,” Toad answers.

He watches her blink awake. She makes cooing noises when she sees him.

…

Epilogue

Giggling, Angelique reaches out for Kurt.

Sighing, Toad hands her over. “I’ve gone somewhere horribly wrong with my parenting, yo.”

“Chicks dig the fuzzy dude,” Kurt declares.

Toad growls.

Ignoring him, Kurt takes Angelique over to the indoor swing set.

“How’s things wit’ you and Lance,” Toad asks Freddy.

“He and Kitty might get together, again.”

“Big shock,” Toad comments. “Rogue’s been complaining about all Shadowcat’s late night phone chats for ages, dawg. Still don’t get why they share a room when no one else does.”

“You and Angelique do,” Freddy points out.

“Well, Storm and the others made a nursery, but she wouldn’t settle.”

“We got a postcard from Pietro,” Freddy tells him. “California.”

Grinning, Toad says, “Dang, now, I’m imagin’ Wanda in a bikini.”

Freddy shakes his head.

…

Pietro calls for a wake call at nine a.m in a cheap motel.

Three floors up, his sister sleeps. He’s seen the signs and knows it won’t be long until the real memories slip through. She’ll want to kill him and Magneto, and this time, he’ll protect himself, but once she’s too tired and weak to strike, he’ll be there to tell her he’s never leaving. She can hate him, but he loves her, and he’s done running.

…

At Xavier’s, a bird lands on a window.

Inside, Todd Tolansky sleeps. A few feet away in a playpen, Angelique Tolansky babbles to herself and locks eyes with the bird’s.

 _Magneto will never harm you as he harmed my children and your brother,_ Mystique thinks in grim satisfaction, and once Angelique falls asleep, she flies away.  


End file.
